Au revoir

French is not my strong point but I hope it means something like 'I wont be writing for a while, but this is not goodbye, see you at some unspecified date in the future'. If it doesn't mean that then 'pardon'.
It is sad but we are going to rent out kelstonmills for a while so I can't easily blog about it.
I have enjoyed it so much I have started a new blog called www.christinesgoldfish.blogspot.com so I hope you will follow me there too.

PS photo of the kitchen just to show I did eventually get it finished

Now you see it, now you don't

The new electrician has finished his job, all up to current regs, but it looked really scary this morning. Boxed it in with some plasterboard and then tiled over it and it looks much nicer.

Stressful day

I always thought today was going to be difficult as the electrician was coming to do the work in the kitchen and then I was going to tile over it and finish off above the worktop.
He was recommended by the neighbours, but I found out he wasn't qualified and I was worried about what he recommended we do. I said it couldn't be done without a proper certificate, so I had to ask him to down tools and leave.
I then had to find a new electrician and start again from scratch. Managed to get one who was recommended by the letting agent and he said the work the first guy was going to do did not meet regulations. Have given him a key and he is going to try and get it done over the weekend as he is really busy.
Really disappointed as can't finish tomorrow now, but at least I think I have found a way out.

Getting near the end

Arrived back today and can't go home again until it is all finished! Lots of finishing off things to do such as tiling above the worktops.
Having a break now but might put in a late shift in a while.

The Swan Inn at Swineford

Eating out twice in one day! Lovely tasty home cooked, non microwaved dinners at The Swan which is a mile or so from kelstonmills.
Really nice welcoming pub that sells pickled eggs in cute little tea cups.
As with B and Q earlier today, it is highly recommended.

B and Q view

What a lovely view this is from the cafe at B and Q on the outskirts of Bristol!
It is raised up so you can see on the top of all the shelves and there doesn't seem to be any dusty corners where they put all of the stuff that they don't know what to do with.
For £4 you can get a cappuccino and a breakfast nap and sit on the lovely orange chairs and watch the action. Who needs to go on a safari when you can sit up here in comfort - just had second thoughts about this plan as there are no animals, but hopefully you know what I mean.

Splashing about

Can see these two from the living room window. Not the guy in the rowing boat but the two in wetsuits on the weir.
They don't seem to have a boat, they are just having a lovely time jumping in and out of the water and splashing each other!
Don't think the swans are too impressed as no sign of any of them.

Finished the tiling!

After much effort, I have finished the tiling. Don't look too closely at the picture though as there are lots of finishing off jobs to do.
Off to have an early bath and night as shattered.

Grout and wine party

Due to the issue of still having no tv signal, I have decided to have a grout and wine party. Unfortunately, I am too embarrassed to Invite anyone so it is a solo party, if such a thing exists. Had a major panic as bought a bottle of wine with a cork, but managed to prize it out with a screwdriver - they really do have so many uses.

Handsome handyman

No, no, no - this is a photo of my lovely neighbour who is well over 80 but who works in his garden everyday. I was too embarrassed to get a photo of the handyman who came round to quote for various jobs.
He is more handsome than George Clooney, and as nice as the policeman in Uruguay who helped me out after I got mugged!
Hope his quote isn't too high as I am pretty sure he will get the job.

Ps tiling is going ok.

Tomorrows tiling task

Just finished laying out the floor tiles in the kitchen ready for tomorrows job of starting to lay them. Have hacked off about four inches of plaster from the base of the walls all the way around the room as it was plastered right down to the concrete floor which allows damp to rise.
Also PVAed the floor to provide a seal. Will have to be more careful with my tiling tomorrow as I made sure today to finish at the front door so that I could go straight out and buy the tiles while the floor dried, but it turned out I left my car keys on the stairs.
Quite worried about tomorrow, but think the tiles are quite forgiving.

Mural inspiration

Saw this row of cottages af Keynsham which is about three miles from Kelston Mills. It is a row of four with either end really traditional and the middle two are really crazy!

Demolition day

Darren dismantling the kitchen.

Misty morning on the river

Nice shot of the river from the footpath next to the cottages.

Kitchen cupboards

Working on the stairs and kitchen cupboards today. They need a lot of work as they are so bunged up with paint that non of them close.

Lovely view

This is the view looking up at the cottages from beside the river. They were built in about 1760 for the workers in the brass mill.

A bossy husband

Took a little stroll along the river bank and saw this couple in their canoes. The husband was in front shouting instructions back to his wife who clearly did not want to go over the top of the weir.
"Just follow me" he yelled and disappeared down the ramp. The lady just paddled backwards and forwards while he shouted encouragingly from the other side. Felt a bit embarrassed watching and left them to it, but by the time I got back to my garden they were both bobbing about happily on the other side of the weir.
Alls well that ends well, and it looked as if she hadn't got her hair wet!

Gorgeous day foday

Lovely weather today.  No sign of the man who seems to live on his boat af the bottom of the garden, or his boat. Guess he must be coming back as he has left his rowing  boat.

Fly update

Thank you to my sister who commented that her favourite post was the one about the flies. I am slightly disappointed as I have tried to include pretty and interesting subjects, but she liked the one where I was clearly having a trauma!
Anyway, you may be relieved to know the flies are no more. A neighbour said that a fly must have laid it's eggs in a gap in the window frame and they got in when they hatched. Well not any more they won't, as I have gone mad with the filler gun and draught excluder tape.
Sorry no photo as no flies and even I am not sad enough to take a photo of draught excluder tape!

Trouble at the pub

I was all ready to take a photo of two canoeists getting in to the water outside the pub when they both ran off! A cow seems to be on the loose but its blending in to the background so I don't think I can get a good picture . Instead here's one I took earlier of a pretty boat.